Chapter 18: Looking on the Bright Side

"Okay, walk forward a little more! Aaaaand… stop! Perfect!" Ivan proclaimed with a giddy smile.

It was a warm, sunny day on Alma Isle, the sky a brilliant blue with the occasional silver cloud passing by. Ivan and his team stood on the dirt road just outside their base, the Grovyle facing away from the building and Galena and Inti facing him. Lady was perched atop her husband's head. All three of them wore blindfolds, their demeanors cautious as the two on the ground came to a stop.

"Can we take these off? We've been walking for ten minutes with them. I didn't come back from visiting my family to get kidnapped," Galena groaned.

"I too am uncomfortable," Inti remarked with a frown. "This is hard to understand. I would like to rest. I should remind you that Lady and I were also visiting family, in Stonethrow."

Lady giggled. "I think it's fun, like a game! I can't wait to see why you've had us do this!"

"This better be something good, like a surprise party or a bunch of cute women," the Goodra muttered, impatiently putting a hand on her hip.

Ivan began to bounce on his heels. "You'll see in a moment!" The Grovyle stood tall and sported a big grin. He looked at the base, then back at his team. "Okay… go ahead and take them off!"

The others did as directed, with Inti tenderly coaxing Lady's blindfold off. They looked to see the base… but it was different.

Instead of the worn-down, chipped layer of paint the building had begrudgingly sported, it was now covered in a fresh white coat. The heavy wooden door and the faded doorstep were each replaced with a sleek substitute painted forest green. Clear windows allowed sunlight inside, unlike the previous cloudy ones. A bed of pink and yellow cosmos covered each side of the doorstep. And where the rusty metal mailbox had stood was a carved wooden replacement.

"A great team needs a great place to live, right? Now we have a base that properly fits our image! All that gaudiness and decay gone!" Ivan proclaimed, puffing out his chest.

Lady, Galena, and Inti gazed at it in awe. The latter pair couldn't keep their jaws from dropping.

"It's… so wonderful! I especially love the flowers!" the Beautifly gasped, staring in adoration.

"How on earth did you do this in one weekend?" the Druddigon asked.

"I had some help! A lot of help, actually," Ivan explained. "My Dad had friends in construction and home improvement, so I called in a few favors. The perks of being a Drakonov!"

Galena looked up, noticing a new roof of sleek brown tiles. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed there—the haphazard effigy of the previous owner's face had vanished. Its removal allowed for an unimpeded view of a red brick chimney. "Guess we don't have to look at that Umbrich guy's ugly mug anymore. And good riddance. Your dad's friends work fast."

"I'm excited about that too. We're not the old Nightscale, so we don't need his head looming over us," Ivan remarked. "Like us, everything is brand new!"

Inti stared in appreciation at the new roof before his eyes shot toward the green door. They stopped just above it, finding a strange symbol etched into the paint—an arch with different shapes, like that of wings and leaves, protruding from it. The shape was painted with a gradient with green on the left and purple on the right. "Er… what is that odd symbol?"

"Oh, that?" Ivan asked, hiding a grin with his claw. "I'll explain later… but for now, why don't we check out the inside?"

Galena blinked. "No way, you got the inside reworked too?"

"Of course! The base needed an update, inside and out. But I won't say too much—I'll let you see for yourselves!" the Grovyle explained before hopping up to the door. He grabbed the shiny knob and pushed, the entrance swinging effortlessly open even for him.

Lady flapped her wings excitedly. "Ooh, I can't wait! Let's go in!"

"I too am curious," Inti remarked as he walked in behind his wife. "I never thought the decor of the base inadequate… then again, I had lived in a cave all my life. So it will be interesting to see your idea of an 'updated' house."

Galena smirked at Ivan as she squeezed in behind them. "Maybe cabbage patch wanted a bachelor pad. Eh, who am I kidding? I'd love a bachelor pad."

"I think you'll like what you see!" Ivan chuckled. Once the others were inside, he shut the door.

Like the outside, the team found the interior completely renovated, transformed from the drab, dull aesthetic the former Nightscale had neglected. The base was spotless and sleek, the dungeon-like stonework ripped out and refitted into wall trim and onto support pillars. The walls had been painted a muted purple like that of a sunrise, and the old wood floor had been replaced with shining, golden planks. Two new couches, one purple and one green, lined the rightmost wall, with coffee tables before them and potted plants filling the space in between. Beige curtains hung over the new windows.

When the group turned to the room's center, they noticed a polished dinner table with upholstered stools. Underneath, the old tattered rug had been swapped with a clean red one. And past the table by the back window, Nightscale's pool table had been waxed, with a rack for pool cues mounted to the wall. Next to it was a dartboard and a shelf of board games.

Finally, the team looked at the beds in the corner, finding luxurious, Swanna-feather cots. Beige curtains hung from rods on the ceiling to offer much-needed privacy.

Ivan stepped into the view before proudly throwing his arms out. "Welcome to our new home! What do you think?"

"Dude," Galena uttered, wide-eyed. "Were your dad's friends witches or something?"

The Grovyle laughed. "No, no. Just really enthusiastic about their jobs. Besides, if they were actually magic, they wouldn't admit it. Not after the Plata Isle witch trials…"

Inti looked at him sideways before shaking away the confusion. "Anyway… it is quite impressive. It certainly feels homier now. Not as… decrepit."

"Yeah, it's a pretty sweet crib now," Galena said with a smirk. She eyed the new beds. "I can't wait to jump into that tonight."

"I love it so much!" Lady squealed, beginning to fly around and investigate. "It's colorful and pretty and cozy! Thank you, Ivy!"

Ivan grinned, then held up a claw. "Hold that thank you… because for you, Lady, I got something special installed. Come over here, guys!"

"Something special? I want to see! I want to see!" she cheered, eagerly fluttering behind Ivan as he walked to the right window. Galena and Inti followed.

"Wait until you see this!" the Grovyle enthused as he parted the curtains. He stood on the tips of his toes to reach for a latch on the window. He flipped the latch with a grunt, then pushed on the glass. Each side of the window swung open, creating an opening in the wall.

Ivan turned around and his grin widened. "I realized that Lady can't get in or out of the base without help… so I decided to have this installed! Now she can go out by herself in town or on missions as often as she wants!"

The Beautifly's eyes tripled in size and glimmered like two blue stars. "Oh my goodness… thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"But wait, there's more!" the Grovyle announced before reaching behind the curtain. He pulled out a wooden pole, the object standing nearly as tall as him. It had a wide metal stand and held a shorter pole on top, creating a "T" shape.

Ivan placed it down in front of Lady, the metal base softly clanging against the floor. "We'll keep this by the window so you have a convenient place to land! I know our heads are your favorite spots, but when they're unavailable, you have this!"

"You're such a good friend, Ivy!" Lady remarked, closing her eyes and rising with a hardy flap. "Always thinking of others!"

Inti smiled. "That is very considerate. Now Lady has fewer obstacles here as a bug type. I don't know how I feel about her going out by herself often… but if makes her happy, then the gesture is worth it, I suppose."

"Aww, no more gal pal on my head?" Galena joked with a feigned tone of disappointment.

The Beautifly flew onto her head and hugged it. "I could never get tired of your soft, comfy head Galy! But I love the perch anyway!"

"Glad you like it!" Ivan said before looking around the room. "Now the base is more accommodating, fun, and comfortable! A great base for a great team!"

Galena nodded. "As if I needed any more reason to be on board with the new Nightscale, now I can veg out or let off some steam with a game of darts."

"It will be nice to have more activities, beyond walking around town," Inti agreed.

Lady raised an arm into the air. "With this lovely base, the new Nightscale will be even more fun!"

"The new Nightscale… Right," Ivan murmured before clearing his throat. "Speaking of that… I have one more thing to show! I've saved the best for last!"

Galena smirked. "Oh? Was I right about there being cute girls after all?"

"Even better. You'll see," the Grovyle replied as he walked over to the central table. On top of it was a small cardboard box. He retrieved it, then rushed excitedly back to the group.

Ivan stood taller. "We've been working under the name of Nightscale for a little while. But we are not the old Nightscale, we're something greater. And the Starfall Ball last week… got me thinking."

He held out the box to Galena. "I want you to open this. The first two items in the box are yours and Inti's. The third one goes to Lady, and the last one's mine."

"Uh, sure," the Goodra uttered as she took the box. She raised a brow before slowly opening it. She reached in and gripped onto something.

Galena pulled out a square piece of fabric, the item colored with a familiar gradient—forest green in the top left to purple in the bottom right. She handed the box to Inti before stretching the cloth out, revealing the same symbol as the one on the house.

"A scarf…? You updated Nightscale's colors too?"

Inti acquired his scarf from the package as well. "Of all things, I was not expecting this."

"New scarves? I love them!" Lady squeaked happily as she swooped down from Galena's head and toward the box. The Beautifly scooped up the third scarf, which was appropriately small for her.

Finally, Ivan walked up and took back the box before removing the last one. He proudly held it high. "That's right! No more of that somber black. These are representative of a true rescue team!"

"Well, I definitely approve of the colors," Galena remarked, gesturing to the purple and green portions of her body. "But why the sudden change? Was it those Pokémon who freaked out at the ball?"

Ivan sighed at the memory of multiple Pokémon—who they had helped—fleeing in fear, the memory of the crowd decrying and whispering about the team. "Yeah… It made me realize that while we look like the old Nightscale, we won't make the difference we want. But as I watched the Starfall, it hit me. Maybe they wouldn't be afraid if our image was more vibrant and hopeful. If we put ourselves apart from them, in image and name."

"Distinguishing ourselves does make a lot of sense," Inti agreed with a nod.

Galena tilted her head. "Wait… in name? We're still Nightscale, right? People will recognize us just from our name alone."

"Well… that's why I have this surprise," Ivan explained before taking off the old Nightscale scarf from his neck and letting it drop to the ground. He replaced it with the green and purple one, then threw his arms out again. "As of today, as verified by AIRTA, we—are no longer Nightscale! We're not just the latest iteration of the team the Isle detests. We are… Team Brightscale! Benevolent rescuers whose name brings hope and happiness to others!"

Lady's antennae stood up and she raised her arms into the air. "Wow, it perfectly represents what we're about! Good thinking Ivy!"

"Not super original, and a bit punny… and that tagline needs work. But I can say it's an improvement," Galena remarked. "Nightscale was too broody. Like a fourteen-year-old named it or something."

Inti nodded. "I couldn't help but notice that myself. There's nothing dark and humorless about us. I wouldn't want people thinking of my darling and me as cutthroats."

"I thought Nightscale was cool, but Brightscale is better! It describes us perfectly—we're making the future brighter, and we all have scales!"

Galena laughed. "Oh, right, butterfly 'mon have wing scales… never thought about that. Anyway, Brightscale's a little corny, but my gal pal's right. It is way more like us."

"I couldn't agree more! Which is why… we're part of the logo!" Ivan proclaimed, pointing a claw to the crescent shape on his scarf. He moved the claw from the top to the bottom. "It has elements of everyone. Galena's antennae, then Lady's wings. Inti's wings below that… and finally, my leaves toward the bottom! As for the overall shape, it's round like Ragnarök's, my dad's team, but also like a rising sun. I thought it would fit as this is a new dawn for the team.

Galena gave a small but amused sigh. She waddled up and gave him a nod of approval. "Don't wanna make your head too big, but you've outdone yourself. This is the type of branding I signed up for. Maybe it won't change everyone's minds, but seeing us in our new getup will at least take the attention off the old team."

"If I were them, I wouldn't dream of comparing us now!" Lady said. "Today is such a great day for Night—I mean, Brightscale!"

The Grovyle chuckled. "The name might take time to get used to. But I'm glad you all like it!"

"Not having to worry about how others look at us will be nice. Especially since Druddigon are often seen as aggressive," Inti sighed before smiling. "I like this change overall. The idea will be easy to get used to, at least."

"This is a step in the right direction, a new chapter for us. When people see us, they'll look at us with gratitude and admiration, not fear and contempt. We'll be the spitting image of the perfect rescue team, the image we deserve," Ivan remarked.

"Hell yeah. We'll be the best team there is," Galena boasted before nudging Ivan. " I think this calls for a celebration. Why don't we go out for a night on the town?"

Lady bore a content expression, closing her eyes. "That sounds like fun! Great idea, Galy!"

"Perhaps we could cut through some of the local parks Lady enjoys," Inti added.

Ivan nodded. "That would be great! I'll grab the leftover funds for the renovation and we'll go to the plaza! I should have enough left to treat us to dinner… and maybe I'll swing by the bookstore when we're done."

"Oh boy. You know we're going out so we're not cooped up inside, right?" the Goodra teased before shrugging. "Whatever. Long as we're living it up, I can't complain."

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "It'll be a good time, I promise. I just had my eyes on some new arrivals there. Give me a bit to get ready and we'll head out."

Ivan looked on in anticipation as the three discarded their old scarves and donned the colorful new ones. The sight brought a smile to his face.

'We deserve this. We've been doing our part, and now we won't have to worry about people mistaking us for thugs. I can feel it now—A lot of things are going to change for the better!'

The warm day had transitioned to a cool, breezy night. Ivan walked alone along a winding dirt path away from the plaza. He passed gardens and houses but he wasn't looking down any of Florei Valley's serene streets. His snout was buried in a novel, which he had retrieved from a bag of newly purchased books.

"The Mothimorphosis, first edition. Great find," he murmured to himself. "A little different from my usual style, but a good reward for a successful rebranding. Juuust hope I don't have nightmares about sprouting wings though, as cool as they'd be…"

Ivan approached a stretch of path cutting between two thickets. As he scoured the pages, he failed to notice two small forms shifting behind the trees ahead.

"Here comes another one! Ready, Ransom?" a Monferno girl whispered to a Scraggy boy.

The lizard nodded before holding up a small wooden box with a glass lens. "Ready. Give me the signal when we're going!"

Meanwhile, the unsuspecting Grovyle walked between the trees, murmuring the words in the book. "Morris studied himself… sprawling, vibrant wings shooting from his back… strange feeling… flew into the air—"

"Showtime!" the girl uttered before dragging Ransom from the brush. They leaped out in front of Ivan, the Scraggy pointing his box—a film camera—up at their victim.

"BOO!" they shouted, throwing out their arms.

The Grovyle gasped and reeled back, throwing his items down in surprise. "What the—!"

Ivan stumbled before ultimately tripping on his feet. He felt a rush of adrenaline from the scare coupled with the otherwise ordinary trip, his instincts seizing his emotions.

As he fell, his amulet swung upward—and strangely, its gem began to glow a brilliant red.

A second later, the Grovyle landed flat on his back, his eyes closed.

Ivan groaned and sighed out the fear, preparing to continue on as normal But when he opened his eyes, his attention darted not toward the ambushers, but to his necklace. While it emitted no heat, there was an unmistakable aura of magic within it, the Grovyle feeling the energy pulsing against his skin.

As Ivan processed what had just happened, the Monferno jumped to face the camera and let out a boisterous laugh. "What's good, people of Alma? It's ya girl, Simone the Sizzler with help from my cameraman, Handsome Ransom! Coming at you with another jumpscare prank. Let's get a closer look at our damage!"

"Ha! That was a good one!" Ransom remarked with a grin as he brought the camera up to Ivan.

The Grovyle tried to hide his face at first but resolved to conceal the glowing amulet in his claw instead. "Y-Yeah, you kids got me. Mind giving me a hand?"

"Help an old guy like you? I'm not that kind of content creator," Simone said before picking up Ivan's book. "What is this? It looks like it's a million years old! Who even reads anymore anyway, when you have the superior, premier media that is film?"

The Grovyle pulled off his amulet before pushing himself off the ground. Once he was standing, he gave the girl a bored glare. "First off, plenty of people still read. Secondly, I'm twenty-four. And finally, the book is a classic! If you can't enjoy it, it's not because it's outdated. It's because you're hooked on film—which is a wonderful form of expression and creativity… if used for something other than pranks."

"Ugh, that's cringe! Get a load of this dinosaur. Doesn't know video is where it's at," the Monferno scoffed before moving her arms in a strange, flowing dance for the camera.

Ransom laughed. "So cringe! Can we get an L in chat for this guy?"

"Cringe? Chat? What the heck are you talking about?" Ivan asked before snatching the book from Simone. "You can't even reply to a film unless you write a letter to the maker!"

She rolled her eyes. "Letters? Get with the times. This is why your generation is lame. And FYI, we share these videos with our ever-growing circle of followers!"

"Our followers being our friends," the Scraggy muttered under his breath. "Using my dad's video camera when he's not home. Then making me carry it around everywhere…"

Simone's head snapped toward him. "What was that, HR? Wanna try a solo career? Say that again and I'm not tagging you in these anymore."

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't deprive me of that sweet, sweet credit! I need the validation for my self-esteem!" Ransom gasped, his black eyes wide and pleading.

Simone waved a hand in dismissal. "Whatever. We've got places to be, and because of this geezer's yapping, this footage is well over a minute. Our friends don't have the attention spans for this! You've got a lot of reels to edit."

"Aww man. My dad's gonna kill me for wasting so much film," he groaned, looking down.

"Not my problem! Now come on, let's go prank some more strangers for clout!" she ordered.

Ransom nodded and the two took off, rushing past Ivan and into the night laughing.

Ivan turned to watch them disappear down the road, then let out a long sigh and dusted himself off. "Kids these days… Huh, maybe I am starting to sound like Uncle Chester."

With that encounter behind him, the Grovyle relaxed and unclenched his fist, letting his amulet dangle. Its crimson glow was dimming, the energy waning as his heart rate returned to normal.

"What in Arceus's name was that?" Ivan wondered aloud. "That's… bizarre. I've had it for weeks, and been around it for months. It didn't do that for Umbrich, and he didn't mention any power or ability. So what gives?"

He rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment longer before shrugging. "Maybe I just haven't been paying attention. I'll have to keep a closer eye out."

The Grovyle looked up at the sky, which began to dispense glittering stars. He smiled at the sight, the Starfall Ball and the past day's events floating to the forefront of his mind.

'It's something I'll have to worry about later. Right now, I need to focus on Brightscale, getting our name out there!' he knew. 'We're a big step closer to being the perfect rescue team. At least in the eyes of everyone in Alma.'

Ivan clutched the gem one last time as he continued studying the night sky. 'And I'm one step closer to having the impact you had, Dad. We'll keep up the good work. I'll keep up the good work. Brightscale will one day be as loved as Ragnarök, you can count on that.'

Special thanks to youngmanymca on PMDFF, Ao3 and FFN for beta reading!

So, Nightscale is no longer Nightscale! You may ask, "what does this mean for the story?" Well, the team will still of course be themselves… but I'm excited to say a shift in the status quo is coming up! Stay tuned to see what the new Brightscale gets up to… I don't think you'll be disappointed!